For several weeks now, the T-Mobile antenna mounted above Three Springs has been built, but unexpectedly, it has yet to turn operational. The site has not yet been signed off by the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Westlake Village. Reason? It’s in a “bureaucratic hold” for the time being due to a simple error on the part of T-Mobile’s building contractor.
As those who have done construction will tell you, there are not enough county inspectors to be on site during every construction project. Instead, the general contractor will often hire a “deputy inspector” who is licensed by the county to be on site to observe during certain critical building processes, such as pouring concrete foundations or pilings. This person is a private contractor that has gone through a certification process by the county to stand in lieu of a county inspector for portions of the building process.
In the case of T-Mobile’s site installation, they appear to have followed the rules, but inadvertently hired a deputy inspector with Ventura County credentials rather than Los Angeles County credentials (the site location being in LA County). Reportedly, the project is waiting for this deputy inspector to test for and receive his Los Angeles County certification so that he can sign off on the project.
In the mean time, AT&T’s antenna installation is progressing along as they work out the lease arrangement with the Las Virgenes Metropolitan Water District, and finalize building plans.